Risk Strategist - Screening

Role Description

As a Risk Strategist on the Financial Crimes Risk Strategy team, you will own Stripe's global screening programs — spanning sanctions, PEP, and negative news — setting the standards that govern how screening risk is managed, designing and driving the controls that operationalize those standards, and ensuring they remain effective as Stripe's products and the regulatory landscape evolve. Being effective in this role means going deep on both the domain and the data — we don't separate the two.

You will partner closely with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Compliance, Legal, other Risk Strategy functions, and Operations to ensure screening considerations are embedded in every product and market decision. Beyond protecting against risk, you will drive innovation in how Stripe approaches screening — staying ahead of regulatory change and pushing the boundaries of what effective, scalable financial crime risk management looks like at a global payments company.

Responsibilities

• Lead Stripe's global sanctions and AML screening strategy — setting the standards that drive screening control design and infrastructure development, and translating requirements across OFAC, EU, UN, OFSI, and other applicable regimes, PEP screening, and negative news screening into actionable first-line programs and controls.
• Own the design and ongoing improvement of financial crime controls, including sanctions screening, PEP screening, negative news screening, and digital asset-related safeguards; continuously improve detection coverage and control performance as Stripe's products and the threat landscape evolve.
• Embed screening risk requirements into product and infrastructure roadmaps — ensuring financial crime considerations drive product launches, market expansions, and platform decisions across Product, Engineering, Data Science, Compliance, Legal, and Operations.
• Drive screening infrastructure and tooling forward by owning requirements, leading execution, and maintaining effectiveness metrics for screening systems and controls; build with observability by design — ensuring KPIs, KRIs, and monitoring thresholds are defined from inception.
• Continuously assess and improve screening controls and systems — identifying gaps, recommending enhancements that strengthen detection effectiveness and anticipate regulatory or ecosystem changes, and leading delivery of those enhancements end-to-end.
• Champion a technology-forward approach to financial crime risk management — leveraging AI tools, self-serve data analytics, and model governance best practices to improve how risk is detected, monitored, and managed at Stripe.
• Stay informed on industry practices and regulatory developments; represent Stripe's sanctions and AML programs to regulators, bank and network partners, and external auditors.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional experience in Financial Services, Payments, or Fintech, with at least 5 years in a related role (risk, compliance, or product enablement).
• Deep subject matter expertise in global sanctions compliance, including hands-on experience with OFAC, EU sanctions regimes, UN Security Council designations, OFSI, and other major global frameworks.
• Demonstrated strong understanding of screening program design and control execution.
• Strong AML screening expertise — proven ability to design, implement, and operationalize PEP screening and negative news screening programs in complex, multi-jurisdiction environments.
• Proven ability to design, implement, and operationalize financial crime standards and controls in complex, global organizations.
• Familiarity with model governance concepts — including model documentation, performance monitoring, and validation — and experience leading or contributing to model governance activities.
• Technology-forward mindset — experience leveraging AI tools, automation, and advanced analytics in a risk or compliance context; aligned with Stripe's commitment to integrating AI across all functions.
• Demonstrated experience developing risk solutions and working closely with cross-functional teams to translate them into enforcement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading transformative AML, Sanctions, or Transaction Monitoring initiatives, including global screening program design or transformations (e.g., vendor selection, watchlist management, false positive tuning).
• Proficiency with SQL and ability to independently mine and analyze data to develop risk insights and inform strategy.
• Experience with crypto or digital asset products and their associated financial crime risk and regulatory considerations.
• Advanced degree or professional certifications (e.g., CAMS, CGSS, CFCS) considered a plus.